So this is Christmas
by chromate
Summary: When Sakuno knew she was dying, she decided to push Ryoma away from her life. - Chapter 5: 'So, is it treatable' Her dead silence replied his query sincerely.
1. Prologue

It's been a long while since I put anything in this web…so I hope you'll forgive me if things don't make sense or get too lame in this one. This is the first time for me to write a long story, and since college's workload will get heavier and heavier (yes I'm a freshman now Yay!) I will try to keep this thing updated at most every two or three weeks…so please stay tuned!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

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Ryuzaki Sakuno loved snow. When she was a child, she used to jump out of joy and run around the streets just to embrace the snowflakes descending from the sky. But now she had no mood for it.

She was sitting in an office, after a series of tests, waiting rather impatiently for the result. After a 10-minute silence with no signs of response soon, she looked around the room with a hint of interest. Apart from all the certificates and awards hanging proudly on the wall, the shelf was full of thick reference books, and documents of previous visitors. There were some family photos on top of it, showing the owner of the office and 3 smaller figures around him. He looked more relaxed than he was now, and one of the kid was hugging him tightly, causing him to look a bit amused.

'The children look adorable.' She complimented.

'Why, thank you,' smiled the man sitting in front of her. Whenever they talked about his offspring, he could not help but generate the gentle smile of his. He was holding a think file, reading the content swiftly but seriously. He flipped through the pages and paused abruptly, looking at the wordy description and conclusion. Then he slowly put down the file and looked into her eyes. Sakuno gulped.

'Is anything wrong?' she asked, though the answer had been in her mind for a while already.

'This is hard to explain.' The gentleman put down his glasses, moving his right hand to rub his eyes slightly. Although at the age of forty, his silvery hair plus the sad eyes made his current appearance more miserable than ever. This is not the first time Sakuno pay a visit in here, but she had never seen him look like this before.

'I hate to say this…' he took a deep breath, and so did Sakuno. She listened to every word he said, and while she had thought she would sink in her seat and cry all over the expected result, she did not. Instead, she found herself quite calm in accepting the cruel fact. Maybe she had already expected this.

'I'm terribly sorry Ryuzaki-san,' the man said sincerely. After all he had been making these kinds of diagnosis for years, but revealing the news to a fifteen-year-old had never been an easy task.

Sakuno avoided his gaze and looked down, finding her shoes appealing more the moment. Things were running quickly in her mind and she was deep in her own thought. The kind man dared not to interrupt her much.

'How much longer?' The brown-haired girl whispered.

The doctor looked at her, opened his mouth to give her the most optimistic answer he could give.

* * *

Stepping out of a hospital had never felt any better. Though knowing she would have to return soon, she turned and took the view of the whole white building into her mind. Putting on her coat, she took notice of how bright it was when snow covered the whole building. She appreciated the beauty of nature, even she should be worrying about other things for now.

While turning away and started walking away, she figured there were a few things she had to take care of before she finally left.

And she was determined to get them done, even if it meant it would hurt both others and herself.

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_-End of Prologue_

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I'll try to write another one as soon as possible. Please stay tuned!


	2. Chapter 1: Supernova

Before I begin, I just want to point out that you may find the time-line confusing in this story. Well this chapter takes place before the prologue, and Ryoma and Sakuno are now attending Seigaku High, their high school after Seishun Gakuen, so they're both fifteen years old now.

Disclaimer: I wish I own this series

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Chapter 1: Supernova

He breathed hard, hands trembling from fatigue. Never in his life had Ryoma played a single game for nearly 5 hours continuously with not much breaks in between. Each ball was played as if it was the last of the match, and both sides never gave up. Especially not the one fighting against him, probably, the tennis prodigy who challenged the US Open at the age of fifteen. A professional player has his pride, and he could not lose to some teenager just because he was somewhat a supernova of this time.

It was Ryoma's turn to serve, but he could not feel his strength,and he was losing. If he lost this game it would be over for his US journey. He remembered his buchou always said 'don't let your guard down', but his concentration and power were diminishing at a slow rate. All he had left was probably his willpower not to lose to this man.

'If Ochibi lost this one it'd be over,' Eiji had his eyes locked on the TV screen. Oishi, his double partner, and Kaidou just gulped. This was the longest match so far in this year's grand slam tournament. Kaidou admitted not even he might have the endurance to play that long. The other regulars continued staring at the screen, watching as Ryoma got a point after a drop shot was hit. There came the commentator's voice, ' it was deuce again! Now the score was 17-17 in tie break, last set of the last semi-final match we're watching.' They could hear Ryoma's trademark yell of 'Mada Mada!' loudly through the broadcast. 'But Echizen's motion had slowed down already,' said Inui, the data-man in the team, 'and the opponent was afterall a professional player, his pace had not changed as dramatically as Echizen's. Right now the probability Echizen will win is 23.6%.'

'Ryoma-kun…' Sakuno sighed, watching as the Seigaku High Tennis Team star removing the enormous amount of sweats on his forehead. The match had taken long enough and every one was also tired just by watching it, but she could not remember the last time the green-haired boy had lost a match. 'Please Ryoma-kun, keep going,' she clutched her hands tightly, focusing her attention on him.

'But he deserved all the applause, given that a fifteen-year-old could win against many top-ranked tennis players in the world and played at the semi-final of one of the most important tournaments in the tennis world.' Ryuzaki Sumire, their coach, stated, even after Ryoma lost another point. The regulars nodded. They were all watching this match in her place, which she consented after Momoshiro proposed. After all, it was not every day they could see these two players played against each other.

Rtoma ran around the court, feeling being fooled by his opponent. He was strong, so strong that he could not really figure how to defeat him. Just getting a point from him was already a difficult task that requried 200% of his normal strength. He hit another slice shot, trying to make his opponent run too, then he dashed forward to the net, hoping to get an advantage by doing a volley. The tall man he faced expected it, and lobbed the ball high in the sky. 'Damn,' the teenager cursed and caught the ball just in time to return it to the other side of the court, then he noticed the opponent's racket lowered just a nearly invisible distance. It was his trump card. 'Damn,' he cursed again. He should have known better.

Everyone gasped at the opponent's calmness as Ryoma ran desperately to the net, in the hope of returning it before the tiny object glued to the ground.

And he could only watch it happen.

He suddenly remembered the interview after quarter-final, where ex-Rikkai Dai captain, Yukimura Seiichi, who turned into a professional player, lost to this guy. The same comment that went along for years, 'this guy cannot be surpassed.'

'Game won by Tezuka Kunimitsu, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6'. The commentator pronounced, while cheers and applause echoed in the stadium. All the foreigners were astonished by the high standrad of this match by two Japanese. Echizen Ryoma adjusted his white cap and walked to the net, facing his former buchou.

'I still have not beaten you yet.' He smirked. Strange enough for him, he never smiled after losing a match, no matter to his annoying oyaji or any other people. Yet somehow he felt relieved in some sense. A wall so high that he could not climb through.

'It was a good game,' Tezuka said plainly, emotionless as usual.

The other members of the Seigaku High just watched as they shook hands, ending the match finally after 4 hours and 57 minutes. Both players waved at the spectators and received a round of standing applause for their effort and determination.

* * *

Ryoma sometimes wondered why whenever he went, there would be a lot of fangirls surrounding him, each proclaiming different statements like 'I love you Ryoma-sama!', 'Be my boyfriend!', 'I will sleep with you' and many more. He had this experience ever since he started to play tennis for Seigaku three years ago, and even when he's in high school now the same group of people (with new members everyday) still chased after him anytime.

Today, the first day of school after he returned to Japan to continue his studies, there were numerous reporters waiting at the front gate, all hoping to have an exclusive interview with the fifteen-year-old that shocked the tennis world. It was just 3 days after he finished the match, and he was really tired.

Ryoma had wanted to ignore them all, but his idiotic father warned him about kicking him out if his face did not make any cover. So he just answered a few silly questions before finding his locker, again, ignoring other students' whispering about him. He got used to all of these already. Walking into the classroom was another story, as he faced Horio, his annoying 'experienced' tennis friend and some other faces that he did not recognize. Tomoko, the big-mouth, just kept screaming along with other girls while congratulating on his achievement. They all surrounded him in his seat when he just wanted to take a nap. It was a long flight after all.

Sakuno watched from a safe distance from all the fangirls and sighed. She knew that Ryoma would react like this, no matter after what kind of tournaments he had won or participated in. She wanted to talk to him, but she also realized the consequence of making a conversation with the almighty Ryoma-sama in the ever-passionate audience's presence. She had to wait. Maybe lunchtime would do. She looked again at Ryoma and sighed. It pained her heart to feel so close but so distant.

Ryoma sighed. He had always wanted peace and quiteness, and after receiving a warm welcome from the sempais in the tennis court this morning(after he left the paparazzi), namely Kikumaru and Momoshiro, he just wanted to sleep. He wouldn't mind if it was someone's else presence, with him now. But what echoed around him was only the high-pitched screaming of the Ryoma-Sama Fanclub.

_Geez, give me a break, _the young semi-finalist impatiently thought.

* * *

The rooftop was Ryoma's favourite place. He lunched here. He slept here. They met here.

Opening the door, he recognized a familiar figure standing on his left, hands occupied by two bentos. He paused to gaze at the pretty girl, observing amusingly how the wind played with her long, twin-braid. He always admired the way the school uniform clinged to her body. Her skirt just covered enough to show her long legs, stimulating his hormonal sensation. She looked so peaceful, with her eyes closed, as if sleeping while standing. Ryoma smirked.

'Hair is still too long.'

She opened her eyelids and turned to him, not flinching nor flushing upon his entry and his stare. She made a dirty face at him before opening her mouth to complain. 'Is this what you say after two weeks of not seeing each other?'

But she never got to finish that accusation. His hands embraced her cheeks and pulled her towards him, kissing her lips hungrily. She returned the favour, putting the bentos on the floor and wrapped her arms around his waist. That lovely feeling she had not tasted for weeks. Oh, how dearly.

They had been going out for…four months, he remembered exactly. But they tended to keep this a secret from others first. Apart from the fact that Ryoma did not enjoy all the rumours and stuff, Sakuno had once been confronted by some girls back in middle school about her being 'always too close to Ryoma-sama'. Officially declaring her as his girlfriend would only cause more harm than good, Ryoma reckoned. And thankfully she agreed. Although she was not quite fond of not having much intimate moments most of the time (as they were in school), she enjoyed the other side of Ryoma that others could not discover. They did a good job in hiding their relationship, that probably only Karupin, Ryoma's favourite, knew all along. Others just teased them for fun.

'I miss you,' she whispered into his ears. They finally broke off and he invited her to sit beside him on their usual spot where people could barely notice their presence here. 'Everyone's stalking about the match now,' Sakuno said. They were now having lunch and as usual, she had prepared the bento for Ryoma, who inaudibly appreciated it very much. 'And everyone believed that this year's Tennis Team can definitely win the Nationals again.'

'Hn,' was his reply. Sakuno just chuckled. This was so Ryoma-like. They continued their lunch in comfortable silence. When they finished, they leaned on each other, their back on a wall, and took a moment of rest.

'I long for this quietness for a long while today,' the green-haired teenager sighed. It was not that he hated playing under spotlight, but he did want some privacy. Some private moment, like the one he's enjoying now. Sakuno just smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, their hands locked. She also loved these moments that only the two of them existed, with no die hard fangirls chasing after the famous star, no loud classmates screaming over them, no playful sempais teasing after them (she didn't hate them though. She thought they were just showing kindness in their own way). Just themselves enjoying each other's company.

Right now, she had no idea what she would be facing soon.

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-End of Chapter 1-

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This turned out to be longer than I expect…but anyway hope you enjoy it and wait for more to come! I haven't really decided on quickening the pace of the story or gradually developed everything.

Pleas kindly review. I'll upload another one as soon as I can =]


	3. Chapter 2: Break Point

Hi everyone! Sorry for the late update, but I am still getting used to college life now. There isn't much free time for me now, and I am trying to write as much as possible when I have some.

Furthermore, I wish to thank everyone who reviewed on my other fic, _Dear Cousin_. I have never, in my previous written work, received so many reviews in such short period of time. I love you all, and hope you enjoy this fic as well!

Summary: 'I want to end this.' She interrupted with the most unexpected answer Ryoma had guessed.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Chapter 2: Break Point

Sweating hard, he returned the tiny ball harder. He was not in a good mood today, and he wanted to end the practice as quickly as possible.

'Ochibi calm down,' Kikumaru yelled while hitting the ball back. 'You're no fun to play with.' Eiji and Ryoma were having their regular practice match. Of course, being a semi-pro, it would have been easy for him to beat any of his senpai in the high school tennis team, but recently his mind was preoccupied by someone that he made a lot of mistakes and was not concentrating in the game at all. 'Damn,' he hit a top spin and the ball was out.

Although the sky was starting to snow, this did not bring any practice to a stop, as the High School Tennis Team could book some indoor courts in the area and still trained after school.

'Game Kikumaru-senpai, 3-5.' He heard a senpai calling. _Damn_. Losing 3 games to the immature senpai never gave him a good feeling.

'Com'on ochibi, this is not like you.' Eiji smirked, waving his racquet at him. Ryoma ignored him and hit his serve.

On the sideline, Momoshiro and Inui were watching the two. 'Echizen sure has been acting weird these days,' the dunk specialist started. 'Usually he would not have lost more than one game to us, except for Fuji probably, but the number of unforced errors has significantly increased.'

'Echizen has a 68.3% increase in unforced errors. The reason is 66.6% due to the absence of Ryuzaki-chan, 18.0% due to argument with or being tricked by Fuji, and 13.9% due to academic reasons or being scolded by teachers, and the remaining due to the desire to sleep.'

Ryoma groaned upon hearing the analysis and missed another ball. 'Senpai, you are too loud.'

'Though still ignorant as ever,' Inui hummed. 'Speaking of which, I haven't seen Ryuzaki-chan around lately.' Oishi joined in their conversation. Although as the captain of the team (as Tezuka had left) he should be scolding their inattentiveness, he was also worried over their little kohai.

'I heard from Ryuzaki-sensei that she was feeling sick these days, and had been absent for nearly a week already.' Fuji said calmly. His match with Kaidou had ended already, and he decided to attend the Echizen Ryoma conference.

'Poor Echizen must be worried,' Momoshiro grinned mischievously, 'that his girlfriend is not here to cheer him up. Ah, it's so nice being young…' and the rest of the regulars laughed. Of course, they knew nothing about their tennis ace and Sakuno going out, but they always loved to tease them about it. It was their joy of the day to see Sakuno blushing like a fresh tomato and Ryoma lowered his cap in denial.

'Pop.' A swift of a tiny object dashed past them, and they were stunned to see Echizen Ryoma swinging his racquet tensely. 'Oishi-buchou, I am not feeling well. Can I skip the rest of the practice?' He said, as calmly as he could, to the group of senpai.

Oishi stared at him for a moment. 'Fine, but tomorrow you have to run twenty-five extra laps for trying to attack your senpai.'

'Hai.' Despite the constant teasing he received from the regulars, he still held a respect for them. He turned and left them, totally ignoring Kikumaru's protest of 'the match had not ended yet, Ochibi is so cruel!' Well, some of them.

The fifteen-year-old did not give a damn. He quickly grabbed his tennis bag and left the court. Changing swiftly into his school uniform, he packed his stuff and left his school.

* * *

Yes, his senpai was right. The reason he was so pissed lately was because of none other than the twin-braided girl who stole his heart. He knew that she was sick, having had called her to confirm it. What pissed him more was she forbade him from visiting her. They had argued over this on phone. Ryoma had even gone directly to her house, ignoring her request, but Sumire, his tennis coach, would not let him in. Sighing out of despair, he promised not to trouble her.

He had no idea why she did not want to see him at these situations. She was sick. Shouldn't he, as a boyfriend, at least visit her once, after she had been absent for almost a week already? He did not understand her reasons, something about causing trouble to him and her family. _Crap_, he thought. She had not acted in anyway weird on their last date, and he had no idea what caused her to change her attitude from affectionate to deliberate ignorance.

Getting close to him probably changed her personality in some way. Without noticing, he had already arrived at his destination. Her place.

He observed the building for a while. The roof was covered with snow and no light was on. _Nobody's home?_ He wondered. He dialed her mobile but no one answered the phone. _This girl is starting to get on my nerve._

'I'll just wait here,' he spoke to no one in particular. Spotting a small area that was not covered with snow near the door, he sat down and wrapped his scarf around his neck tighter to keep himself warmer.

He didn't have to wait long, as after a few minutes, he noticed the familiar figure approaching. He raised to welcome her.

Only to find her accompanied by another male.

Ryoma widened his eyebrows.

That male looked around their age, with short brown hair and blue eyes. His countenance showed no sign of acknowledging his mere self in front of the door. He was good-looking, Ryoma admitted, but that did not explain, for instance, why another lad was walking her home instead of him.

They seemed to be in deep conversation that it was not until they were a meter from him did they notice his presence. Sakuno looked surprised to see him there.

'Ryoma-kun? Why are you here?' She asked hesitantly, and Ryoma definitely did not like her tone.

'I should be asking that.' He peeked at the male's arm that went across her shoulders. His gaze and voice turned cold in an instant. 'I can tell you're very sick.' There was no way he could hide his anger and jealousy upon this very scene.

Sakuno shivered from his voice. True, she knew that whenever Ryoma was very pissed he would use that tone to talk to anyone. 'Please go in first. I'll come in a minute.' She whispered to the teenager next to her, handed him the house key. Ryoma, again, could not hide his shock. SHE had permitted someone HE did not know to enter HER house. Even for Echizen Ryoma, the infamously cool and indifferent student, that was too much to take.

He waited until the blonde disappeared from their view to open his mouth. 'Who is he?' Hatred filled his voice.

'Ryoma-kun, we need to talk.'

'We are, Sakuno,' he gritted his teeth. 'What's the meaning of this?'

She looked at her feet and did not say a word. Her brown bangs covered part of her face that Ryoma could not decipher her expression.

'Whenever I wanted to visit you, you didn't allow so. Fine, I respect your decision, but what is a sick person walking around in a snowy environment?' Still, her bangs prevented him from looking directly into her eyes.

'Look at me, Ryuzaki,' he warned, and blurted out the questions followed by. 'Why are you doing this? Who is that guy? Are you going out with him now? Are you…'

'I want to end this.' She interrupted with the most unexpected answer Ryoma had guessed.

He froze on his position. The breezing wind only made him feel worse. 'What are you talking about?' For once, anger, yet mostly fear, was what Sakuno could decode in his precise articulation.

'I want us to end, _Echizen-kun_.' Oh, now she was even addressing him with his last name. Ryoma's eyes were wide open. He could not believe what he had just heard. For minutes, he just stood there, looking at her. Her face was, unusually, calm and emotionless. He saw her shiver, but concluded that was due to the cold weather they were placing themselves in now.

'You've got to be joking…' he trailed off. He did not know what to say, when his girlfriend for more than half a year suddenly requested, or ordered, to break this relationship.

Stillness filled the space between the two fifteen-year-olds again. The breeze attacked them again, and while Sakuno was trembling, she was aware that Ryoma's body was shaking too. Her countenance softened (not that he could notice) yet became more determined. She walked past him to open her door, when she felt a pull on her wrist.

It was Ryoma's strong hand.

'Why?' He made a nearly inaudible remark, without turning his head.

For a moment she did not speak. Silence again took the scene.

Ryoma had never felt this terrible before. Yes, they had had arguments before, but they would just give each other some time and eventually they would be back together again. They always talked through things out. Not once had they been in such deep quarrels.

'I…' he heard her shaking voice, and he lifted his face to observe her. Still, he could not see her face. 'I am tired of being in the back,' she gulped, waiting for him to absorb the words.

'I don't know how many times have I been worried over us when you are always surrounded by your fangirls, watching them having intimate contact with you while I could just sit back and act as if nothing has happened.' She took a deep breath, ignoring Ryoma's shocked expression and intention to protest. 'I want to be recognized sometimes, Echizen-kun, and I want someone who will always be by my side, instead of being away for weeks for some tournaments around the world.'

'We have talked through this before we started,' Ryoma cut in. 'It was a mutual consent.' He knew she felt lonely when he participated in tournaments outside Japan. He knew she was mad sometimes when some fangirls had close physical contacts with him (pushing themselves on him, to be precise). He knew she faced trouble and threats when she was being close to him, even when they were not officially dating but just friends. 'This is to protect both of ourselves.'

'I guess I was wrong.' She sighed. Obviously, that was not a good enough answer for the prideful prodigy.

'Is it because of that guy?' he murmured dangerously. That blonde who put his arm around his Sakuno's shoulder…under normal circumstances he would have taught him a lesson already. 'The one who was with you a minute ago?'

Sakuno kept quiet the whole time, making no intention to admit or deny. Ryoma finally understood what heartbroken really meant. There was no way Sakuno would forgo him just for another guy. This was not Sakuno at all. 'Why…?' he could not understand in what way he, the tennis prodigy that shocked the world, the one who brought Seigaku to victory in the Nationals, the one who showed his true self only to her, was not a better one for her. He might seem not caring sometimes, but she knew him! She knew his personality better than anyone else.

'I did have a really good time, these seven months.' She pulled his face onto hers and placed a tender kiss on his lip. 'Arigato.' Before Ryoma could recover, she was nowhere to be seen. The big and concrete door separated them completely.

'What does this mean…' he raised his voice. 'WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?' He slammed his fists on the door continuously, begging for an answer. 'ANSWER ME, SAKUNO!' He kept his action on, ignoring the curious gazes of passerby and some annoyed neighbours. Gradually, he lost his mental strength to go on. He leaned his back on the door, sliding his body onto the ground. He did not care about the cold surface that made contact with his trousers. He did not care people stopped and gave him strange looks. All he knew now was that he wanted to cry.

Echizen Ryoma never cried. He just could not control the tears rushing out his eyes.

If he had taken better notice, there was a brown-haired girl mirroring his position, with only a door in between them, also sobbing soundlessly.

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-End of Chapter 2

* * *

And here goes Chapter 2. I find it strange that I write most when I am busiest (e.g. doing homework, studying for exams) while when I am free I cannot fully concentrate on writing this fic or another…strange habit I guess.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this as much as I write it. Quite OOC, I know, but I would shiver more if Ryoma was really that heartless in such situations. I know I have not explained things much in this chapter, but I promise you that it is intentioned to do so. More will be revealed in later chapters.

Please, do review. Any comment and criticism are welcome.


	4. Chapter 3: To be or not to be

Hey people…sorry for the long wait for update, but college life is killing me...This chapter mainly focuses on Ryoma, and there ain't much romance in here, so please bare with it for the while…there will be more later on! =D

And I would like to thank people who have reviewed/read this fic or my other PoT fictions, especially my latest one: The shy, the protective, and the unpredictable. It's very encouraging to see you guys like my work, and I'll try to improve on my fics too. Thanks for pointing out my mistakes, and I really don't mind if you see any more. Constructive criticism is what makes us fanfiction writers improve.

Summary: Was this love? Actually he had no idea what love meant…with her, he could put that all aside and be Echizen Ryoma, for once and for all.

Disclaimer: Ryoma is so cute.

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Chapter 3: To be or not to be

With his six years of experience in tennis, Horio could tell something was wrong with Echizen Ryoma, the Seigaku High star tennis player.

It didn't take a genius to notice the green-haired boy carried a dark aura around him anywhere he went. No one dared to question him. Even his fangirls sensed it and avoided him (for now). The teachers just ignored him as usual, as they knew this guy would sleep through lessons and get top scores anyway.

Ryoma glanced at a seat adjacent to his in the front. Still no Sakuno. His fists tightened in anger. He still could not believe what happened yesterday, when she suddenly decided to end their secret relationship, and no matter how many times he called her at night she would not pick up the phone.

_-Flashback-_

'_Ryuzaki-sensei, I really need to talk to her.' He pointed out sternly. Nobody said no to Echizen Ryoma._

_He could hear a deep sigh in the other end of the phone. 'Ryoma, I don't know what happened between the two of you,' she paused, 'but Sakuno told me firmly that she did not want to talk to anyone. She really is feeling sick. Please leave her alone.'_

_-End of Flashback-_

Sick? Walking with another guy in the snow while being sick? That was the most illogical thing he had heard recently. Who was that guy anyway? Nobody ever explained to him. Well, not that others could, since they were secretly dating, but Ryoma felt, for the first time in his life, defeated. Heck, that guy even entered her house! Images of Sakuno and the unknown mysterious secret boyfriend of her making out, alone, in the big house she lived in made Ryoma feel nauseated. Out of all the things he could afford to lose, he lost his girlfriend to some anonymous teenage boy.

He paid no attention to the teachers' scolding of Horio for not being attentive. All he cared now was a twin-braided girl who made his life so miserable in a blink.

* * *

Sakuno sighed for the umpteenth time.

'When will you stop making that sound?'

She turned to look at the blond who leaned on her bedroom's door. He was holding a magazine in his hand, which Sakuno easily spotted as the Monthly Tennis, the magazine she had subscribed ever since junior high. She was in good terms with the two reporters, Inoue and Shiba, who followed Seigaku's, especially Ryoma's, progress ever since the prodigy set his foot in Japan. With Ryoma starting to compete in different tournaments around the world, they were more than thrilled to give Sakuno free copy of their work, sometimes with big poster of Echizen Ryoma playing (which she hanged proudly in her room).

She just ignored his glance and did not reply.

'Fine.' He moved towards her bed and sat beside her lying body. 'Don't forget that you have to go back to the hospital in an hour though. I'll be driving.'

She murmured a soft 'yes' before rolling on her bed again.

This time, it was the guy's turn to sigh. 'Self-sacrificing one's fortune is not always the best solution, my dear cousin.' Takeru gave the girl once last glance before closing the door behind him, giving her some private space.

No, she was not that noble. She just did not want to be a burden to everyone. By just revealing the news to Tomoka yesterday night, after her fight with Ryoma, already gave her a great headache. The last thing she needed now was pity.

_Ryoma_…Sakuno chuckled. It was like a dream for her, the anonymous girl, to have the chance to date the most wanted male of the whole school. She had become Cinderella all of a sudden. Although it was not an official one, she had never felt any happier. When she thought it was just a crush, puppy love, he proved her wrong. She still remembered the look he had, the brush on his face, when he asked her out for their first date, which ended in a kiss, a passionate, intimate one that she still treasured every much.

She moved her fingers to make contact with her lips. She still remembered Ryoma's scent clearly, especially after their very last kiss yesterday.

Fate always portrayed the joker best, she thought. It was as if arriving at the peak of Mount Everest and then was thrown mercilessly down the hill, straight to the bottom, with nobody being able to do anything to help her. After all, the pain lied inside.

She sighed, fighting for the tears not to come out. Over the years she had become mentally strong, but separation from everyone or death…was definitely another story.

* * *

'Where is Echizen again?'

The senpai-tachi were childish, but not so stupid to not have noticed their favourite kohai acting extremely weird today. Oishi, in particular, was terribly worried. Although Echizen had showed up in the morning and completed his punishment of twenty-five laps, he spoke not a single word. No 'mada mada dane' when Eiji missed a lob. No 'Hn' when the fangirls screamed his almighty name (from a safe distance, which he was satisfied indeed). No grunts when Fuji took a picture of him with his camera, which surprised even the tensai as the semi-pro player always muttered curses when Fuji flashed his favourite object in front of him.

'When he lost the U.S. Open to Tezuka, he even smirked. I think it is something other than tennis that affects him lately.' Fuji kept his usual calm smile, not giving any trace of what he's thinking. By his inborn sharp senses to people, he knew that something was going on between Ryoma and Sakuno, but he could not figure out what. They acted like the time Ryoma first entered junior high: one was extremely arrogant who pissed anyone off, and one was just adorable and clumsy. Eiji and Momo had even followed them once on their 'date', only to find them repairing tennis racquet. Fuji held his belief that Sakuno was never a great actress to hide anything, and the regulars agreed whole-heartedly.

'Nya, could Ochibi be having problems with girls?'

'It's quite unlikely.' Inui stated, flipping through his 'bible'. 'According to my data, Echizen seldom has any interactions with the opposite sex. The closest female figure is Ryuzaki-chan, but they do not seem to be dating.'

'Maybe Ochibi got jealous? Sakuno-chan is a very popular girl now in high school.' Eiji exclaimed. They were all surprised on how the clumsy granddaughter of their coach in junior high had gradually transformed into a real beauty. She still kept her trademark twin-braid, but she had developed a nice curve and her face had become more mature. Furthermore, her helpful and cheerful character made her even more popular among everyone. The regulars knew that many boys had showed interest in her, but she had turned them all down. They reckoned she still had a crush on the ignorant prince, and grieved over how dense he was. Of course, they had no idea they were wrong.

They went on discussing what caused the green-haired to have a bad mood that they did not notice the said figure had entered the tennis court, resting his racquet on his shoulder.

'Fuji-senpai, can I have a match?'

They were all startled and jumped in shock to hear his voice. Luckily for them, the fifteen-year-old did not hear what they were talking about.

'Sure.' Fuji smiled again before going to the bench and grabbed his racquet. 'Say Echizen, you don't seem to be in a good mood. Anything I can help?' he offered, which Ryoma just snorted. He knew his senpai-tachi too well to fall into the sadist's trap. Nothing good came from Fuji's offer, he was sure.

'Just play the match.'

The tensai just nodded and approached the baseline and started a rally with the emotionally troubled teenager.

Ryoma hit every ball hard. For the whole day he had immersed in his own thoughts that he felt like killing someone. Logics did not seem to make sense to him anymore. The image of a certain Ryuzaki Sakuno had haunted him for the entire morning. He basically ignored everyone who tried to stand near him today. He did not care if he bumped into some seniors or received criticisms from teachers. Nothing mattered anymore, but one.

He felt like his brain would explode at any second. Now he just wanted to relax a bit, and a tennis match was nothing but perfect. He needed distraction.

The others watched as Echizen failed in returning Fuji's triple counters for a couple of times. 'Oi Ochibi! You let your guard down!' Eiji laughed while mimicking Tezuka's catchphrase.

Ryoma just ignored him and continued hitting topspins. _Damn_, and he thought tennis could ease his mental illness of the moment. Every time he hit the ball, he inevitably glanced at the crowd of girls cheering, hoping to find her standing there, silently watching him as usual. When he was trying hard to concentrate in playing the game, her words floated into his mind again.

'_I don't know how many times have I been worried over us when you are always surrounded by your fangirls, watching them having intimate contact with you while I could just sit back and act as if nothing has happened.'_

Hell, he was never into the idea of having an affair. He was not a social animal, he admitted that, and he did not have many close female friends, except for her and that loud-mouthed Tomoka, if she was counted in. There were some in class that he was fine with (and whom did not chase him around like those annoying fangirls), but they were just friends, and heck, he never initiated any conversations! He just did not mind their presence, and they were nice enough to help when he did not understand the materials in class. What gave her the idea that he would cheat on her?

He still remembered back in junior high, before they started dating, that Sakuno had been the victim of several obsessive fans. They had locked her, alone, in a dark room for hours until he heard her weak sobbing sounds. They had even torn her uniform skirt while she was having physical education. Notes of threats became the mildest she could get, and that really put a lot of pressure on her. She would continue avoiding him for weeks had he not interfered and threatened the girls back.

'_I want to be recognized sometimes, Echizen-kun, and I want someone who will always be by my side, instead of being away for weeks for some tournaments around the world.'_

So, was she telling him to give up his dream? Heck, the first thing he did after every match was to call her. The first thing he did when his plane landed safely on Japan was to call her. Their conversation was still the same, mainly she did the talking part, but he gradually opened up to her, and had shown more affection already, like hugging her more or whispering 'I love you' to her ears. Even Sakuno was a bit taken aback the first time and had complimented him on that, while flushing like the reddest tomato he'd ever seen. He felt heat rising on his cheeks, and adjusted his cap slightly to hide it from his annoying senpai-tachi.

'_Echizen-kun.'_

Great. Now he was even no longer Ryoma-kun.

'_Echizen-kun.'_

Damn, that sound seemed to haunt him.

'_Echizen-kun.'_

He shifted his attention back to the game he was playing. What was the score again? He did not really care. He would not lose anyway.

'Game set, won by Echizen Ryoma, 6-3'.

Oh, it's over already? Ryoma had not paid much attention to the game, and had won before he realized Fuji was approaching him, still smiling.

'You are still very strong, Echizen,' Ryoma just looked at him, 'although you still seem distracted.'

_Heh_, Ryoma laughed mentally. He had wanted distractions, but it turned out that he had immersed himself in the thoughts of Sakuno again. Yet he did feel better after playing tennis. Thanking his senpai for the game, he walked to the locker room to change, ignoring the silent senpai-tachi who observed him with curiosity.

'Something's really wrong with Echizen,' Momoshiro said. 'Fsssh,' it was Kaidou's way of agreeing.

'Just give him some time to solve his problem,' Oishi, the captain, stated. Of course, he was also worried over his underclassman, but he knew the last thing Echizen would do was to share his feelings to other people. Not even Tezuka's glare would make him tell others how he felt.

* * *

Throwing his stuff on the floor, Ryoma landed on his bed, his eyes staring at the ceiling. He remembered he had stayed at the Ryuzakis' doorstep for a long time and arrived home late, which cost him his dinner and Nanako scolded him a little. He did not care. Last night was the first time in his life that he had cried himself into sleep.

He had never thought he could have become so messed up just because of her.

The green-haired boy recalled that rumours about him going out with Sakuno started to spread in his third year in junior high, when he became captain of the Seigaku Tennis Team. They had…well, acted like a couple sometimes. Whenever there were tennis practices or official matches, she would be there. She made him lunch, which he even complimented that they tasted good (and it took a passing-by Horio to hear that and spread it over). She was probably the only female student to be allowed around the tennis court area (once he was so pissed with the fangirls that he asked his team members to either chase them away or let them have a taste of Inui's latest invention. The choice made by the members was obvious).

And boy was he protective of her. Being the clumsy girl she had been, she was an accident magnet. Yet he had never shown more concern over her when boys started to hit on her. She had been cornered few times, with the boy leaning on trying to steal a kiss. There had been several cases like this, and all the males were reported to have injuries over their bodies the next day. While Sakuno was feeling grateful for his act, he wondered, at that time, why he cared.

For Echizen Ryoma, tennis had been everything. When he lived in America, he played tennis every day. When he returned to Japan, he played tennis every day. Yet gradually, a certain brown-haired girl had occupied a place in his mind. She bore his lack of socializing skills and gave him the support he wanted. Whenever he wanted someone to spend time with, she would be on top of the list for sure. Sometimes, he did not want to be the famed Seigaku pillar of support. He did not want to be recognized as the star player.

He just wanted to be Echizen Ryoma, and she granted him that. He could not have asked for more.

Was this love? Actually he had no idea what love meant. He just felt that…whenever they were together, he was relaxed and happy, and he could be his true self, instead of wearing a cold mask. He was never a social-friendly person. He hated to act like he cared about another's life and said things to please others. With her, he could put that all aside and be Echizen Ryoma, for once and for all.

The more he thought, the more his head and heart ached. He fought back the tears growing in his eyes and jumped off his bed. He felt like suffering from an act that he somehow did wrongly, but having no idea why he had screwed it up. He just knew one thing now.

He loved her.

Yes. He would not let someone he treasured so much walk away from his life that easily. He wanted an answer. He wanted to know everything. He hated being in the dark and knew not about what was going on. If he failed…even if he failed, he would start all over again.

Ryoma jumped out of his bed, grabbing his coat with him, and walked out of the house without changing. He needed to think. He needed to figure out things clearly. And there was no better place to go than where he could get answers.

Echizen Ryoma was a determined person. Nothing would stop him from getting what he wanted. Nothing.

* * *

-End of Chapter 3


	5. Chapter 4: Sister's Keeper

First of all I have to make a brief announcement. I screwed up about Ryoma's and Sakuno's age in some places in previous chapters. They should be fifteen instead of sixteen. Sorry about that mistake.

Summary: Gomen nasai, onee-san. She knew her sister would be mad at her for this, but he might be the cure she needed.

Disclaimer: Author suffocated by exams.

* * *

Chapter 4: Sister's Keeper

'Ryuzaki-san, please come in.'

Sakuno heard the pleasant voice calling her name. She nodded in appreciation to the nurse, who smiled sadly in return. She could decipher that curve on her face exactly: _poor girl, such a young age yet having such a disease_. She was used to it already. Having been admitted into the hospital for a while, every doctor and nurse, when dealing with patients like her, wore the same expression. She couldn't be mad at them. She couldn't. She knew they were just concerned over her life, even if she hated pities from others.

The twin-braided slowly rose from her seat and looked at the white door. How many times she had entered that frame, she lost counts already. Ever since she accepted the news, the fifteen-year-old had become quite accustomed to this cold place. The air was always dead, and other people in pale green robes were quite oblivious to another's existence. After all, they were all sharing the same fate.

Sometimes the girl wondered what people would do if they knew she's dying in a short time. For now, only people from her family, Tomoka, and her cousin, Takeru, knew of the cruel truth. None of the senpai-tachi or other students in the school knew about it. It's not that she disliked them, but she would rather not embrace everyone's sudden over-concern and have them treated her as a fragile vase. No. She needed not pities.

She took a deep breath and took a last glimpse of the long hollow hallway before motioning to where the doctor had been waiting. Releasing a deep sigh, she entered the room.

* * *

Golden orbs stayed focus.

The idea of following a person never really came to his mind until now. He had been following Ryuzaki Sumire for a while. He had not planned to though, but he couldn't figure out a better way. Ryuzaki-sensei had been acting weird lately and he could add one to one. There had to be an explanation to the two Ryuzakis acting strange. But so far he could not find anything suspicious about his junior and senior high tennis coach. She was just doing the daily chores. Nothing special. He was about to give up. _This is a stupid idea_, he grumbled and decided to stop being a stalker. Instead, he left his sensei and entered a fast-food restaurant, hoping to get some food.

'Ryoma-san?'

His brain loaded for a second before turning towards the owner of the sweet, fresh voice.

'Sakura-san.' He greeted.

It was a young, pretty girl with short brown hair, which barely touched her shoulder. Her hazel eyes bored into his vision. She had a pretty pointed face and a slim, growing figure at the mere age of fourteen. Sakura was the vice-captain of the Seishun Academy's volleyball team, and probably the only female he knew now in his previous school. She was quite a famous player nationwide, and she managed to keep a good grade too. Very popular among the whole school, she was still single. Ryoma wondered why sometimes though. Boys simply adored her. He could tell by the drools on the floor when she passed by. Some people had said that she was the female version of Echizen Ryoma, who excelled in both sports and academic. Of course, what she did not have was the trademark arrogance that signified the fifteen-year-old. Her charm and maturity kept her a good reputation with everyone in school.

She was sitting with some other girls, who all looked at him, surprised. Ryoma recognized that they were all wearing Seigaku's uniform. _Might be her teammates_, the lad thought. 'What are you doing here?'

'Speak of the devil,' she grinned, pointing towards the table where she came from, and his cat-like eyes landed on the three girls sitting there. 'My friends and I are just talking about Seigaku's legendary tennis team.' By that, he knew she referred to the team led by Tezuka-buchou when he just entered Seigaku, the team that prevented Rikkai from achieving three consecutive Nationals titles. Ever since he joined Seishun Academy he had got a medal in each competition he participated in, including last year's 2nd runner-up as captain of the tennis team. When adding the facts that Tezuka had become a professional tennis player with Ryoma likely to follow suit, they became a living legend among schools in Japan.

'Hn.' When he made eye contact with the girls, they all blushed, turned around and giggled, whispering among themselves. Ryoma ignored the three school girls and continued his conversation with the standing figure. He was used to blushing girls around him anyway. Sakura glared at them, and the girls giggled more.

'Sakura-san, how's…your sister?'

He swore her face faltered for a split of second, but she remained calm. 'She's not feeling well, that's all.'

One thing Ryoma liked about her was that she was very mature for her own kind. She did not talk that much, and was very sensitive to people's emotions. In a way, she reminded Ryoma of Fuji, but not as sadistic and frightening as the tensai was. Instead, she could easily give others a warm feeling of acceptance or comfort. In a way, he knew he could trust her after the first time they met. That's the charisma she possessed.

One thing he did not like, though, was that she enjoyed avoiding questions. Again, she resembled Fuji so much. She was never the one to share her feelings openly, and was very careful with her choice of words. There was once when he tried to know what Sakuno's favourite desert was, so he could make one for their three-month anniversary. Her reply went by 'something edible'.

The green-haired looked at her without a blink, and she knew he wanted more answers. 'What?' She obviously knew something, but decided to play dumb.

The girls behind them rose from their seats. 'Sakura-chan,' one started, 'we'll be leaving now. You can call us later when you're done.' She winked at the brown-haired girl and gave her a knowing punch on the arm.

Sakura groaned and hissed impatiently, 'he's not my boyfriend.'

* * *

'I have both good news and bad news, Ryuzaki-san.'

'I'm prepared for any result.'

'Very brave of you.'

The grey-haired man in white robe adjusted his glasses while she gulped. She just made a terrible lie and the experienced doctor looked through it at a simple glance. But he decided to play along. After all, there was hardly anything more demanding from a father to tell a teenager that she would die soon.

'The medication seems to have some positive effects. The blood vessels connecting your heart and kidney are working more efficiently than before.'

Given a few years ago, a twelve years old Ryuzaki Sakuno would definitely jump out of joy. But even if she knew there was a glimpse of hope, she could not expect anything for the better good.

'…yet it doesn't seem to help your heart a lot.'

She knew he was hesitated to reveal the truth. And there it went. Her slightest hope vanished.

'I understand, Dr. Sawakita.'

'I will be completely honest with you, Ryuzaki-san.' He put down his glasses and put his hands on the table, clinging together. 'For the question in your mind, within ten days.'

She gulped yet again. She could be read too easily sometimes.

'I see.' That's it. _No need to feel sad, Sakuno. You expected this a long time ago._

'We will have you admitted. We'll be monitoring your situation twenty-four hours a day. A nurse will be in-charge of taking care of you.'

'Dr. Sawakita, that won't be necessary. We both know what will still happen in the end.' She said plainly, trying to hide her fear.

'Ryuzaki-san,' he took a sip of his cup of coffee, 'please accept out treatment again. Last time you ran away during hospitalization –' Sakuno hid her face with her bangs, 'and resulted in herself fainting on the streets. If it was not for your cousin, who knew what would have happened?'

She was speechless. She wanted to say something to argue back, but she knew she couldn't because he was totally right. She had escaped from the hospital because she was terribly afraid: she was afraid of dying, of leaving everyone she loved behind. She thought people did not understand her situation and feeling. Why would they understand, anyway? 'I know how you feel' was a phrase easy to say but hard to comprehend.

'We want to try a new drug. It is still under investigation, but the result is generally positive. But of course, we will have to get your grandmother's and your consent first.'

The twin-braided girl nodded in apprehension. Sawakita forced a smile. He hated telling the youngsters this, but he had not much choices.

'Please follow me to your room. I'll introduce the nurse to you there. We will discuss more in the room.'

* * *

Ryoma rolled his eyes.

The girls just laughed and left the area. But unfortunately they knocked over Sakura's bag which was placed on one side of a chair. It flipped over and all the stuff rolled out.

'Ah damnit!' She cursed. All the papers, folders and books in her bag were originally arranged neatly. Now she had to arrange them all again. She knelt on the ground and started to collect her stuff. Her friends were helpless sometimes. It's not the first time Ryoma and her talked in public, but every time it would result in having the bright caption _'Ryuzaki Sakura is going out with the tennis star Echizen Ryoma'_ on a random notice board on the corridor. She sighed and wondered what Ryoma had suffered through his three years in junior high.

'Get up.' He ordered and pulled her to a standing position.

What?' She blinked in surprise as Ryoma bent down to assemble her things. Although she was quite in friendly terms with him, he never really offered to do anything for her.

'You should be more aware of people around you when you wore a skirt.' Oh, that rang a bell. Her face flushed and gave a death glare to the people, males in particular, who peeked in her direction. She fixed her school skirt and tidied her uniform. By that time he had finished getting her materials. 'Arigato, for both,' she whispered. He nodded in response. 'Well, I have to go now. See you next time, Ryoma-san.' She bowed politely and walked out of the restaurant.

* * *

Ryoma watched as the younger girl's shadow grew out of sight. He sighed. Each movement of her body actually accorded with her older sister. Her appearance, her frown, her occasional oblivion…he suspired deeply. At least he got something useful by helping her. The tennis prodigy reached for his pocket and took out a card, which he slipped into his trousers when Sakura was too busy blushing. He had noticed it when the said girl just knelt down.

The front of the card was nothing special. _Dr. Sawakita Tenma. Cardiologist. East General Hospital. Contact number…_

It was the name on the back that attracted his attention beforehand. On it, Sakura's handwriting was crystal clear: _Onee-san, 5pm, 14__th__ December._

* * *

Outside the restaurant, Sakura exhaled deeply. She knew that her sister kept her disease a secret from him, and she was determined not to expose any details to the boy, as much as she hated the idea.

Well, she had been keeping their relationship private already, though frankly speaking. Whenever her schoolmates cheered for her blossoming love with the renowned tennis prince, she could only deny without saying that he was occupied already. She knew they kept their relationship unknown to others, and she promised not to tell anyone about it (Sakuno needed not to tell her about them; Sakura just deduced it herself; Ryoma was quite impressed and Sakuno just blushed).

She had witnessed from the window that day, watching the cold lad break down while listening to her sister's constant weeping throughout the night. She remembered feeling nauseous that night: she hated seeing people fight, especially when one was whom she loved most and the other she respected and admired.

She gave one last look back at the restaurant. She knew perfectly the reason why he helped her back then. Yet she did not intervene. She just caught sight of him sneaking that card into his pocket from her shoulder. It was an innocent act.

_Gomen nasai, onee-san_. She knew her sister would be mad at her for this, but he might be the cure she needed.

* * *

What the hell did this mean? Obviously it had something to do with Sakuno, Sakura's sister. But a cardiologist? He had never heard her mention any hereditary disease in her family, and she did not seem to have any problem when they were going out. It had always been fine. Thousands of connections came to his mind, and he swallowed uncomfortably. _It couldn't be…_

He scanned the card again. _14__th__ December_…it was today. _5pm_…it was now.

His determined golden orbs came to life. Maybe he could get his answer this time, even though it might not be something he would like to hear.

* * *

_-End of Chapter 4_

* * *

Okay, I know some of you probably are hating me now for making the story too long and still not much Ryosaku moment…there will be some in the next chapter, I guarantee that. I did not think of adding a new character (i.e. Sakura) until I was half-way through the story. But I think she will begin to play a role in this story. And if you're wondering about the Ryoma-Sakura relationship…I won't comment on that, because I have yet to develop more of her character. As I said, I added her into the story out of the blue.

So how do you find this chapter, overall? Please do read and review, so as to let me know what you want more/less, or just how you're feeling about the story so far. I'll do another chapter of this after I finish the last chapter of _Dear Cousin_, which I believe will be posted here in a week or so (sorry, but I have two exams next week).

So again, please R&R. Until next time, hope you enjoy this.


	6. Chapter 5: Trust and Faith

It's been a while (almost a month) since I updated this story…my apology. As usual, college work is killing me softly. During this period, I have finished _Dear Cousin_ and also written a _Nagasarete Airaontou_ fanfic before Thanksgiving…it's been a while since a manga can really make me laugh, so I decide to put it (you can check it in my profile). Special thanks again to people who like _Dear Cousin_. I never honestly expect it to be that popular, being one of my most 'hit-ed' fics in this website. Credits to you all.

Summary: 'So, is it treatable?' Her dead silence replied his query sincerely.

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis.

* * *

Chapter 5: Trust and Faith

'_Where is she?'_

_A man dressed in a plain white polo shirt rushed into the white concrete building, a bag on his back. He had been enjoying a friendly tennis match with an old friend when his phone rang, revealing the news that his wife and children were involved in a motorcycle accident. Sweat was all over his face, with his shirt soaked._

'_What's her last name, sir?' the lady on the front desk asked calmly. Having worked in this place for ten years, she was quite used to frantic family members who screamed while approaching her seat. Besides, she was quite entertained to see a soaked Asian, which showed his tight pectoral muscles translucently._

'_Echizen. I was told my family was sent here.'_

_The blonde inputted the name and looked at the screen intensely. The tall man held his breath, anticipating the result. He should not have attended the stupid game. He should have stayed with them. If that's so…_

'_She's on fifth floor now. The doctors are performing a surgery on her.' She paused to check the clock. 'It should have ended by now.'_

_Without muttering anything more, the foreigner flew to the stairs. When he reached his destination, he found no one but an eight-year-old standing emotionlessly, staring at the opened door. His heart gulped. His vision moved from the little boy to the retreating figures from the room. He wanted to scream. He wanted to scream so much. But no words could be vocalized when he noticed the woman standing next to the bed inside the room, whipping her eyes continuously._

'_Oh no…' he could only mutter, but his legs were paralyzed. Watching in horror, he found the motionless body on the bed, blood on the floor discordantly. A lady in casual wear was weeping silently, caressing the green-haired body's cheek softly. The man finally found the strength to move towards them and, hesitantly, hugged the sobbing lady. Suppressing tears from falling from his own eyes, he whispered words of comfort, hoping to make her feel better._

_Outside, the little boy continued to watch in awe. He had no idea how to feel. Never a person of emotions, he found it hard to breathe. The room seemed to shrink and darken, and he was the only sane person. He could hear not a thing, but allow effortlessly for the whole dimension to twist in front of his eyelids._

* * *

Ryoma stared at the building hollowly. The two places looked so familiar yet so different. They shared the same functionality, with alike people working every day and night, serving for the sake of humanity.

However, his faith in them had shattered. As a mature fifteen-year-old, he knew they were not to blame. Yet the pain of losing someone close to you was too hard for him to decipher rationally. He did not hate them. He just had trouble in fully trusting them.

Taking a deep breath, he made himself pass through the transparent doors of no return.

* * *

Reaching his destination, only disappointment was kind enough to greet his presence.

He peeked through the limpid box on his eye-level to take a look of the locked room. Everything was arranged tidily in order, with the dim sunlight penetrating through the mild yellow curtain on the other side of the room.

'Are you looking for Dr. Sawakita?' He turned his head to face a fat figure in white, holding several files on one hand while fixing her coat with the free one. 'He's with a patient in another floor. Do you have an appointment with him?'

He took a glance at the clock hanging proudly, indifferently on the cold wall. A quarter past five. So if what was on the card was true, she should be the mentioned one.

'Actually I'm with the patient Dr. Sawakita is taking care of now,' he lied effortlessly, 'but I was late to arrive here. I'm her cousin.'

The middle-aged woman raised a suspicious eyebrow. In her memory, the only visitor the girl had ever got was her other cousin, which was a blond, not some green-haired punk. 'And who might that patient be?' She raised her voice. Ryoma knew perfectly well that his presence would easily indicate apparent incredulity, but he did not have a choice now.

'Ryuzaki.' He replied, still keeping his usual cold tone. 'Ryuzaki Sakuno.'

The tall woman eyed him carefully before turning to one of the files she'd been holding, reading the information printed inside. 'She should be in room 508 now. She'd be staying in there for days probably.' She continued to see if her little visitor needed to know anything, only to find him staring blankly, his eyes hollowed.

_508. The three numbers were printed neatly on top of the doors, where they rushed her inside hours ago. He remembered seeing doctors and nurses rushing in and out, performing a very busy task inside while his mother cried frantically onto the phone, urging his father to come. His father should be having a match in somewhere hours from where they were._

_His mother hugged him tightly. 'Don't worry, she'll be fine. She'll be fine. She'll be fine…' He kept hearing her repeating the same thing, without knowing exactly who she's trying to comfort, him or herself. He felt his heart ached. It was of no doubt that he loved his family very much, even his annoying arrogant oyaji, and seeing her in a broken state and him in a lifeless status made his stomach swirled. He had never had this feeling before, and he had to act his best to prevent himself from breaking the cold mask he loved to wear._

_He's still a boy of emotions after all. People just did not usually see who he was._

'Are you listening to me?'

Ryoma snapped back to reality as the unnamed lady waved her hand in front of his eyelids. He suppressed a bitter smile. Nostalgia again, he really should stop thinking about the past so often.

'Yes I heard. Room 508 right?' She sighed. _Kids nowadays_…she motioned towards the stairs behind them. 'Turn left after you reach fifth floor. It will be on your left.'

The fifteen-year-old muttered a low 'arigato' before starting to climb up the stairs, leaving the nurse behind.

* * *

Every room here had a large window for the patient to have a nice view of the environment outside, seeing the trees planted outside the hospital and grasping the view of the whole city. There's another window in between the room and the corridor outside, allowing the doctors and nurses to be alerted should there be any sudden change to a patient's condition.

As Sakuno sat on her bed peacefully, she couldn't help but wonder how she should spend the remaining days. Make a bucket list? She wasn't even allowed to go to the washroom alone, let along leaving this place to fulfill her wish. Tell all her friends about it? She didn't need that, again. She was a strong girl. She needed no sympathy. Maybe Sakura and Takeru could give her some company.

She felt a sense of dizziness drilling through her mind. Dr. Sawakita had told her that the experimental drug contained tiredness as a side-effect, so she decided maybe she should take a nap. Her cousin went to washroom, so she was all alone in the room, had nothing to do anyway. Lying on the soft white cushion, her brown eyes blinked at opening of the door. Feeling truly exhausted, she addressed the person.

'Takeru, I want to take a nap. Could you help me adjust the curtain?'

The sound of the curtain flowing in the air answered her call. Noticing darkness had immersed the room, she opened her eyes slightly to find her cousin, only to be met with a pair of golden orbs, cat-like eyes.

Outside the room, a lone figure stood still, observing carefully the interactions of the two seniors of her in the room. She knew very well of what this would turn out to, but she kept pushing it. The blond next to her sighed. He knew her well enough to know that he could not beat her in strategic planning. He turned his attention to the shocked lady on the bed and the calm lad who stood by her side.

* * *

'_Come here, Ryoma,' he heard her whisper his name and, hesitantly, entered the room. All medical staff had left already, allowing them to share some last moment of family time. He took his time to reach the rear side of the bed, unaware of the blood he stood on. _

_He had witnessed it happen. It was a sunny afternoon when they went out. She insisted on getting the ice-cream, so he led her to the shop, with the permission of his mother. When they crossed the road, he put his hands in his pocket and walked arrogantly while she tailed. That's why his eyes did not notice that she tripped, and when he turned, it was all too late. A fragile body was swung in mid-air as slowly as it seemed, and he noted that every single thing paused for a brief moment. _

_A clear parabola was formed, reaching the peak then falling slowly onto the ground again. He saw it happen. He saw how the curve was perfectly drawn. How the passer-by stopped and watched in curiosity._

_And his sister was gone._

* * *

When he arrived outside the room, tagged with the haunted number 508, he saw Sakura, who surprisingly reached there before him, and the blond he had seen days ago. Holding a grudge, he kept his temper under control. The brown-haired girl was aware of the appeared figure, so she turned, delicately, and eyed him to go inside. The fifteen-year-old looked at the tall blond, who sighed in defeat and moved away from the door where he seemed to be preparing to enter. Nodding in acknowledgement, he reached for the door knob.

'Takeru,' there was no mistake. It was her voice. Her vey soft voice that haunted him these days. He felt his hand twitched, but he told himself to relax. Although he still knew not of her condition clearly, staying in a hospital room was serious enough for him not to do anything stupid. If his concept was correct, the 'Takeru' she mentioned was the annoying boy standing outside, now eyeing them thoughtfully. He felt his heart ached a beat.

'I want to take a nap. Could you help me adjust the curtain?'

Obeying her request, he moved slowly to the window and closed the curtain gently. Meanwhile, his eyes were fixed on the fragile body on bed. After completing his task, he walked quietly towards the bedside, staring at her on the edge.

She unhurriedly opened her eyes. Yet before taking note of her stunned countenance, the very position brought him back to years ago in a hospital in America, where he watched as the doctors could do nothing to retrieve his sister's short life. She was only six. They were once inseparable. They played together, ate together, shared everything among themselves. Her disappearance created a great psychological impact on him that indirectly caused him to isolate himself from others.

But the girl now in front of him…resembled her so much. Indeed, Sakuno was a rare example whom he could trust fully. After the incident, he had never really opened up to anyone, let along his parents who also suffered from deep grief. She, however, messed up his seemingly perfectly-alone-life completely. While he thought his whole life would be devoted to tennis and tennis solely, her existence shifted his aim. He enjoyed her company more and started to develop feelings for her, long before he really realized it.

'Ryoma-kun?'

Her sweet tone. How he treasured her voice now. He looked at her, managed to give a smile, a bitter one.

'Why…?'

He gently sat on the side of her bed, and placed his index finger on her lips, hissing a 'sssshhhh' sound. His free left hand moved to play with her hair, combing them rhythmically. How long had he been awaiting for such close contact. 'Just sleep,' he murmured. It needed not a genius to tell she was very exhausted, and even if she wanted to sit up and try to make things sensible, her body went against her will, and she obliged to Ryoma's pleasant order, drifting to dreamland.

* * *

When Sakuno opened her chocolate eyes again, she yawned loudly before covering her mouth with her hand, paying dim attention all the traditional manners. For how long she had been sleeping, she had no idea, but the curtain was pulled aside to allow sunlight to ignite the room, revealing the mild amount of snow falling from the sky outside.

She adjusted her head to look at the falling snow. She always loved it since she was little. It was like a miracle, how the tiny white crystals descend from the sky while dancing with the wind. She remembered the time she jumped in joyfulness when the crystal droplets landed on her hand. Her parents would come over and join her, and her mature younger sister would also admire the view silently, wearing a smile on her face.

Her parents…how long had it been? Eight years? They passed away when she was seven. Plane accident. As businessmen of high ranks, they travelled a lot yet that one time, when they took the plane to America, the plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean and no survivors were found. Time did heal her wound. She didn't have much memory of her parents anyway, but she knew that it troubled her grandmother, Ryuzaki Sumire, coach of the Seigaku Male Tennis Team, a lot. Now that one of her only two granddaughters were also approaching death, she did not dare to imagine what the old woman must be going through after her son died nearly a decade ago.

'Ohayo, onee-san,' she heard a delicate voice calling her. Turning her head to her right, a nearly identical facial structure of hers met her vision. Ryuzaki Sakura was holding Alfred Kinsey's _Sexual Behaviour in the Human Male_ with her hazel eyes focusing on the content, which earned a chuckle from her elder sister. They were so different in many areas, from interests to personality, with the only resemblance of sisterhood their brown hair colour.

Fixing her hair, she closed her book and looked at her sister. 'How're you feeling?'

'I'm okay, I guess. My legs still feel numb though.' She honestly replied. It was just a normal sleep that allowed her to rest under the side-effects of medication. Her eyebrows widened in remembrance.

'He's here.' Sakuno stated. Sakura needed not to be Sherlock to understand her meaning.

The fourteen-year-old student paused for a while, and repeated her words. 'He's here.'

Sakuno blinked and looked at her left.

There sat Echizen Ryoma, in his casual white polo shirt and black jeans. His body was leaning forward as he rested his arms on his knees comfortably. Looking at her, he found his very own mind twirling. His lips parted but words could not be heard. So did hers. They both just stared at each other for a still minute, before Sakuno turned to her younger sibling.

'Sakura.' One word was plain enough for her to raise her question.

Sakura flashed her a guilty look. Of all people she knew, the volleyball lover could never put on her mask in front of her sister. Ryoma and Tezuka were easy to play around with, even Fuji failed in tricking or deciphering her. But she…she always triumphed in this aspect.

'Gomen,' she hissed. 'I've explained to Ryoma-san briefly regarding her condition.' Sakuno would have argued had she had enough strength. She was still relatively weak to make a fight with her sister.

'And I'm glad she did.' This time Ryoma interrupted. His golden orbs bore into her small eyes. 'Why didn't you tell me?' At this point, Sakura decided to leave them alone. Her sister, along with her grandmother and cousin, could scold her later. Passing through the door, she gave one last look at her beloved one, made a weak smile and disappeared from both their visions.

The silence grew rather uncomfortably. Both parties wanted to break it yet it seemed too imperfect to blemish.

'Why didn't you tell me?' The green-haired lad decided against it and made a step forward. Sakuno could not look into his eyes that unveiled hurt and disappointment. Of course he was hurt. He was hidden from the truth for weeks while she suffered, all alone practically.

It startled him when Sakura told him, while the older girl was sleeping. While he was away to Rome to participate in another tournament in late-October, Sakuno collapsed all of a sudden one day, at home, and was rushed into the hospital. She had had a fever on the previous week, and constantly felt fatigued, yet nobody suspected anything beforehand.

'_SLE?'_

'_Systemic lupus erythematosus,' Sakura stated, as Ryoma shivered at the mentioning of the name. 'However,' the brown-haired girl continued, 'she did not have the exact same disease commonly known with butterfly rash on her face. Instead, it was an abnormal variation form. There weren't many reported cases around the world.' Sakura spoke as if reciting from a well-known quotation. 'She had also suffered from various other symptoms apart from fever and prolonged fatigue, like pulmonary hypertension and pleural effusion. The doctors could only prescribe drugs to maintain her life longer.'_

'_Then how did she…' the tennis supernova trailed off. He found it really hard to believe in, although it could explain why she did not attend school for a whole week after he returned from Europe. She having such a disease and he knew nothing about it?_

'_It could be genetic,' she shrugged, 'but the doctors did not really know, and in onee-san's case, the disease was just spreading too fast.'_

_Sakura allowed a few minutes of silence to fill the space, as Ryoma proceeded to clear his mind. 'So, is it treatable?'_

_Her dead silence replied his query sincerely._

'Can't you trust me, Sakuno?' He basically pleaded as she still refused to answer. 'Why do you have to hide it from everyone? The senpai-tachi? Your classmates? Your friends? Even Tomoko?' He gulped painfully. 'Me?'

All the while she remained her posture, sitting on the bed with her back leaning on the pillow positioned onto the wall. She finally looked up, and Ryoma took an interest on the tear stain on her face.

'Parting is the hardest part, Ryoma-kun,' she whispered. 'I have been there…my parents…and I do not deserve people's empathy. I'm not as weak as everybody thinks, Ryoma-kun. I'll be fine without the sudden embrace of everyone's overwhelming concerns.'

The answer came colder than he expected, but he couldn't care less anyway. Leaping forward, his face was just an inch from hers.

'I have accepted the fact that I'll be dying soon, and my diminishing existence should not stop others from living their lives, right? Even Sakura's, and yours…' The female teenager lowered her head. 'I appreciate your visit, Ryoma-kun, I really do. But, please, move on with your life.

'Wha–' but she did not manage to finish the sentence as his moist lips pressed against hers, taking her by complete surprise. She missed the feeling, she knew it too well, but as much as she enjoyed it, this could not go on.

'Get off me!' She raised her voice as he wrapped his trained arms around her, pulling her well-developed body towards his muscular one. She struggled. Hard. Punching his chest did not seem to have any significant effect, as it only aroused him to kiss her more forcefully yet passionately. She wanted to find the strength from her legs to kick him away, but she felt numb on her lower half. It had happened for a while already. Finally, she gave in to pleasure and returned his favour, in a more affectionate manner. Only the need for air stopped them from continuing on.

Both parties retreated only slightly, panting. Their face flushed with the deepest shades of red and Ryoma caressed her cheeks gently. He put on a smile.

'Baka,' he rested his forehead on hers. 'I'll never leave your side. Never.'

Sakuno just nodded, not really knowing how to respond. Without realizing, tears were streaming down her cheeks. Ryoma just pulled her head to his chest, allowing her to soak his shirt.

Of course he knew she did not have much time left, but he found no reason in escaping from reality. Sarcastic, wasn't it? Last time he went to a hospital to witness his sister's death, and now he would accompany her to face the truth. Yet he would not regret the choice he made. No, he wouldn't.

'I'll never leave your side.'

Even if it meant he had to suffer yet again.

* * *

-_End of Chapter 5_

* * *

Just to clarify, SLE is a real disease, but I made up the 'variation form' in Sakuno's case. Basically, all the medical information here is mostly correct, but not directly linked to some so-called made up disease that I wrote. If there really is a disease that matches it…well I'm purely lucky I guess.

This chapter was a bit longer than previous'. I hope you enjoy reading this. Writing this story is always an interesting task to accomplish.

I once hoped I could finish this story by Christmas, but now it seems rather unlikely…oh well, I'll try.

Please review too! Your comment means a lot to me =]


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